Why more golfers need to attend the rules school

Last Sunday, I was driving to Galleria Mall through the narrow, cement blocks paved, 400-metre road.

Halfway, a car appeared right behind me almost by magic and the driver started flashing lights at me urging me to speed up as he started tailgating me.

Did the driver have an emergency? I wondered. I looked at my rear view mirror and the sight ticked me off.

Standing between the passenger and driver’s seat was a young boy of about five years.

Despite putting the chid in danger, the driver had his safety belt on. The driver managed to go past me when we got to the gates and he drove in at the same high speed.

I soon realised that he did not have an emergency. He was headed to the car wash!

Tailgating is one of those peculiar driving habits that are increasingly becoming acceptable on Kenyan roads.

When I attended a driving school in the 1990s, I was taught to never do that. I wonder if they still teach the same things at driving schools these days.

Do new drivers go to driving schools anymore, or would this be a severe blow to the vanity of these young drivers?

The majority of the youthful new golfers conform closely to the unattractive pattern of behaviour often seen in the young bucks we find on our roads.

Formal training on the Rules of Golf is often seen as something that is unnecessary for new golfers. Unfortunately, modern day golf captains are like the driver with the young child standing in the car as he drove: they don’t see the benefits of attending Rules school.

Since 2014, we have held eleven Level One Rules schools. Six in Nairobi-based clubs, two at the coast and three upcountry. Golfers from 27 Kenyan clubs have attended these rules schools and we have also had participants from Uganda and Tanzania. In total, 300 golfers have participated in these one-day schools.

The upcoming rules school at Royal Nairobi Golf Club on Monday, October 9, provides yet another opportunity for golfers to enjoy a fun day with Rules both in the class room and out on the golf course. Anyone who has attended the R&A designed rules school will attest to the benefits from the lessons.

BALL AND LARGE LEAF

The leading golf clubs that have had few participants in the past rules schools are Muthaiga, Railway, Kiambu and Sigona Golf Clubs.

The clubs that have produced the most participants are Limuru Country Club, Karen Country Club and Vet Lab Sports Club, in that order.

This came into focus this week when a picture with a golf ball that seemed to have been stopped from getting into the hole by a large leaf was circulated on golfing social media groups. The position of the ball on the leaf was such that it was not clear whether the ball would be at the edge of the hole or in the hole were the leaf to be removed. The discussions about how to deal with the situation on most forums was testament to the fact that many golfers need to attend the rules school.

Some were referring to the rule about movable obstructions while others were referring to the rule about exerting influence on the the movement of the ball.

Rules that are do not have any bearing with the situation.

The way to deal with the situation is not straight forward.

There are a few things to consider. First was where the stroke was made? If it was from off the green, the player should simply mark the position of the ball, remove the leaf and replace the ball. If the stroke was made from a position on the green, then I would assume that no one would make a putt with such a leaf lying right next to the hole. If the wind blew the leaf after the stroke was made from a position on the green, then the stroke must be cancelled and the shot retaken.

The Rules of Golf require a player to replay such a shot if the ball is deflected or stopped by, or comes to rest in or on, any moving or animate outside agency. I hope that we shall have a full house at Royal Nairobi Golf Club on October 9 to cover these and many other situations that seem to confuse many of us.

Good knowledge of the rules will help us get round the golf course with less problems.